Many of the country’s most elite and selective schools mostly recruit students who fall in the highest-earning fourth of America’s income distribution. A Georgetown University study of the class of 2010 of the country’s 193 most selective institutions found only 15 percent of students came from the bottom half of the country’s income distribution, while 67 percent came from the highest-earning fourth of the distribution. These statistics mean that two-thirds of students at these institutions are affluent, outnumbering middle-class and lower-class students substantially.

Although these elite schools are attempting to make campus racially diverse, most of their students are overwhelmingly affluent, diminishing any substantial chance for students from low-income homes to receive acceptance letters. To increase socioeconomic diversity, many schools now are considering recruiting students from low-income areas.

In 2003, the Supreme Court upheld the University of Michigan Law School’s affirmative action policy, allowing race to play a role in admission decisions. Although Michigan voters in 2006 made affirmative action illegal, it is time for institutions to begin considering socioeconomic diversity when considering applicants, given the current state of the economy. Granting admission, or at least greater consideration, to lower-income students would dispel the belief that where a person grows up affects their entire life, including job outlook and career opportunities.

When applying for schools, students who grow up in poor households usually are at a disadvantage to students who grow up in affluent households. Upper-class students can afford expensive community service trips abroad and are more likely to be involved in student activities in high school than the average lower-class student, who might have to work to support his or her family. Students who come from higher income housing also can afford to be tutored for standardized tests, the scores of which usually play a pivotal role in the admissions process. Ultimately, these students have a greater opportunity of gaining admission to elite institutions because of their affluence.

High school graduates should not be discouraged from applying to any higher education institution because of their financial background, and if more schools begin considering socioeconomic status as an admissions factor, more students could feel confident applying to elite institutions, regardless of their families’ income status.

Every university should want a diverse student body with students from all walks of life whose differences in ideas allow for acceptance on campus. Many elite institutions consider race as a factor in the admissions process, but many more should consider the socioeconomic status of applicants. After all, applying to any university should be an option for every student, regardless of his or her race, ethnicity or economic standing.